Legacy
by Silverkitsune3
Summary: The arrival of a boy named Storm throws Squall's world into chaos, as Storm claims he's there to stop a second Sorceress war, one where Rinoa is the direct cause. Can Squall protect Rinoa? Just who is Storm, anyway?
1. Default Chapter

LEGACY Chapter One  
  
Peacful Days  
  
The artificial lights gleamed off the perfectly honed edge of the Lionheart as it swept through the air, smashing with deadly accuracy into the skull of a monstrous T-Rexaur. Several more lightning fast blows followed the first, and the stricken monster roared in agony as it crashed to the training center floor, making the ground rumble with it's passing.  
  
Squall Leonhart sheathed his weapon and raked a gloved hand through his wet bangs, pushing them out of his eyes. "That was way too easy," he muttered, watching another T-Rexaur peer at him warily from behind a clump of trees, wisely disdaining to come closer. Not even the fearsome T- Rexaurs gave him much of a challange anymore, and Squall was frankly bored to death. What he wouldn't give to borrow the Ragnorock for a day or two and fly out to the Island closest to Hell, all by himself. Cid wouldn't hear of it, of course. 'Now, Squall, I can't be risking the best commander Balamb Garden has ever seen. What would Edea say? What would the world say?'  
  
Squall sighed. In the month after Ultimacia's demise, he and his friends had become national celebraties. They had been hounded, idolized, worshiped, scorned, envied, criticized, and gossiped about constantly. The others had borne it well, much better than him, he would have to admit-- with Irvine eating it up like candy and Quistis with her patient teacher smile firmly in place--but the stress was beginning to wear them out, too.  
  
As for himself, he had never gotten the hang of this hero business. After taking the job as full-time Garden commander ( very reluctantly, one might add ), his life had become even more stressed. With virtually no missions to take his mind off the pressures his role demanded of him, he was reduced to fighting T-Rexaurs in an artificial training simulation, to relieve some of his pent up energy. He wasn't cut out for this; he was a warrior, for Hyne's sake, a trained mercenary! He wasn't meant to live his life behind a desk, or in endless meetings and peace talks. He needed something to do, and soon, or he would go crazy.  
  
Now, a trio of Grats approached him, waving their tentical-like arms menecingly over their heads. Squall looked at them with contempt. They weren't even worth going after. He considered wiping them out with a well placed Ultima spell, but that was a hideous waste of magic, and he needed to leave at least a few monsters for the younger students. Turning on his heel, he left the training grounds, wondering what Cid would say if he suggested that they put in a few Tonberrys, or maybe a Chimera. The poor man would probably have a heart attack.  
  
"SQUALL!"  
  
"Oof! Selphie," he grunted, staggering back as the petite girl flung herself into him, hugging him tightly around the waist. Wincing, he pried his hyper teammate off his bruised ribs, drawing in a much needed breath. "I didn't expect you back from Trabia so soon. Is Irving here, too?"  
  
"He's up giving our progress report to the Headmaster," Selphie replied, her green eyes dancing as she watched him. "It's so good to see you again, Squall!" she exclaimed, and he took a step back for fear of another hug. "I missed everybody so much!"  
  
"You've only been gone a couple of weeks."  
  
"But, still--" Selphie didn't finish her thought, spotting another unfortuanate victim to bestow her affections on. "ZELL!"  
  
Watching Selphie chase a terrified Zell towards the cafeteria, Squall sighed, feeling that strange tugging sensation at the corner of his lips. Shaking his head, he started off for the Headmaster's office. If Irvine was up there giving his report on the rebuilding of Trabia Garden, Cid would probably want him to hear it, too.  
  
* * *  
  
"So, basically, everything is running ahead of schedual, sir." Irvine's deep, drawling voice could be heard as Squall stepped out of the elevator. Not surprisingly, Quistis was here too, on top of all the latest developments as usual. Rarely did something happen in Garden without the much revered instructor Trepe knowing about it. Squall would have thought her a nosy busybody, if he didn't rely on her to keep track of all his important meetings, interviews, and appointments day after day. She was so much better at that kind of thing than he was.  
  
"Excellent." Cid was beaming. "I knew I sent the right people to get the job done. Oh, Squall, you're here," he said, catching sight of Squall in the doorway. "Good, good. I have something to discuss with you and the rest of your team. Would you mind paging everyone up here? Rinoa too. I need to get some papers from my desk, and I forgot where I put them...." He wandered off, scratching his head, and Squall frowned.  
  
'I hate the intercom.' Hopefully, he looked to Quistis. But, the blond haired instructor simply gave him her stern teacher look and shook her head.  
  
"Forget it, "Commander," she said, knowing how that word would irritate him. "I'm not calling anybody up here. That is your job now, so you might as well get it over with."  
  
Squall sighed and placed a hand to his forehead.  
  
* * *  
  
"Attention, Balamb Garden. Would Selphie Tilmitt, Zell Dintch, and Rinoa Heartilly please report to the Headmaster's office? Selphie Tilmitt, Zell Dintch and Rinoa Heartilly to the Headmaster's office immedietely. Thank you."  
  
In the library, Rinoa Heartilly, also known to the world as Sorceress Rinoa, glanced up from the physics book she was reading and giggled helplessly.  
  
'He always hated broadcasting his voice over the intercom,' she mused, placing the book back on the shelf and heading out the door. 'Hyne, he sounds so serious. No wonder the students are terrified of him.' She met Selphie and Zell on the elevator, and was treated to a crushing Selphie/bear hug that made her ribs creak.  
  
"So, any idea what the Headmaster wants?" Rinoa asked casually as the elevator dinged to a stop.  
  
"Man, I hope its a mission of some sort," Zell added, his blue eyes feverishly bright with hope and excitement. "I'm going nuts, sitting around here all day, with nothing to fight but Grats and T-Rexaurs. And Squall's got most of 'em scared to death! You need to have a talk with that boyfriend of yours, Rinny. Either that, or we need to convince the Headmaster to let us bring in stronger monsters. Like...I don't know. Behemeths or something."  
  
"I'm sure the students would love that, Zell," Rinoa smiled as the trio made their way into the office. "The only ones who would dare venture into the training center would be you and Squall."  
  
"Hey, it would keep them out of the secret area after curfew, right? That's a plus."  
  
They were laughing as they made their way into the office, and the other three SeeD members glanced at them expectantly. Selphie bounded over to Irvine, who wrapped a possessive arm around her, Zell hovered next to Quistis, and Rinoa crossed the room to be with Squall. The commander of Garden was leaning against the wall, alone in a corner as usual, but he looked up and gave Rinoa a faint smile as she approached.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked, imitating his pose and leaning against the wall herself, as close to him as was comfortable in such a formal setting. "Another mission?"  
  
"Dunno yet," Squall muttered, reaching down to lace her fingers with his own. A sudden warmth rushed through Rinoa's entire body, and she bit back an idiotic grin. Squall glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and squeezed her hand.  
  
Cid came back then, shuffling into the room with his wife, Edea, close behind him. The gentle Matron of the orphanage gave each of her children a serene smile, her face radiating peace as she went to sit in a corner chair. Rinoa sighed and pressed closer to Squall, leaning against his strong shoulders. Matron seemed truly happy now; it was hard to believe that this was the same woman they had fought as Sorceress Edea, so long ago. A lifetime ago.  
  
Then, Cid cleared his throat, glancing at each of them to make sure they were listening. They were; Zell was listening so intently it looked like his veins would pop out of his head. Placing his hands behind his back, Cid smiled at all of them.  
  
"First of all, to put your hearts at ease, this is not a mission run."  
  
There was a collective sigh of relief from everyone but Zell and Squall; the latter taking the news without expression, and the former collapsing in a chair with the loudest groan Rinoa ever heard.  
  
Cid continued: "Irvine has just informed me that the rebuilding of Trabia Garden is way ahead of schedual. And, since all of you have been working so hard to get both Gardens up and running again, I think a vacation is in order. You've all certainly earned it. So, as of tomorrow, you all are on leave for two weeks. You may use that time to do whatever you wish. My only request is that you remember that you are all senior SeeD members, with the exception of miss Heartilly, and that you set the example for our younger students. Other than that, you're free to go."  
  
"Whoo hoo!" Selphie cheered, leaping about a foot in the air. "Balamb beach, here I come!" She cheered again and raced out of the room in a blur of bright yellow. The others followed at a saner pace.  
  
"Vacation, huh?" Squall mused as he and Rinoa left the office hand in hand. "I don't think I've had one of those before."  
  
"It'll be fun, Squall," Rinoa encouraged, smiling at the slightly worried look on the commander's face. Trust Squall to turn a vacation into something to brood over. "We can finally have some time alone; just the two of us."  
  
"I'd go anywhere with you, Rinny" he said, so quietly that Rinoa barely caught it. Her heart skipped a beat. As the elevator door closed safetly behind them, Squall drew her close for a quick but heated kiss, and Rinoa melted into his arms.  
  
"How about Winhill?" Rinoa asked when her breath returned. "Its quiet, remote, fairly hidden from the rest of the world. And I would love to see the place where Ellone grew up." She bit her lip at the sudden pain in Squall's eyes. "Oh, sorry," she whispered, realizing. "I didn't want to cause you bad memories."  
  
"No, its all right," Squall reassured her as the elevator came to a halt. "I've...been meaning to see it myself, someday. I need to visit my mom; say my goodbyes..."  
  
Now Rinoa felt throughly wretched. "I'm really, really sorry, Squall. We can go somewhere else. I want you to enjoy this vacation."  
  
Squall touched her cheek, silencing any more protests she might have. "I will," he said softly, "as long as I'm with you."  
  
The elevater doors opened with a hiss. Squall and Rinoa were about to say their goodbyes--both of them had work that needed to be done before their vacation--when they noticed the boy standing in the middle of the hall, watching them.  
  
In itself, this was nothing unusual. Both Garden Commander and Sorceress were used to being stared at by the younger students. They were part of the reason Garden attendance was so high these days. However, even with the large numbers of students and trainees, Rinoa could usually remember a face, even if she didn't know the person's name.  
  
But, this boy, who looked to be around fourteen or fifteen, meaning he had been in Garden for awhile now, was a complete stranger to her. Lean and wiry, with tousled black hair and steel blue eyes, he stared at the couple in open astonishment, surprize mirrored on his young face. His clothes were ragged; filthy, but strapped to his waist was a familiar looking steel blade.  
  
"Squall!" Rinoa gasped, as the handle of the weapon glinted under the bright flourecent lights. "He's got a gunblade!"  
  
  
  
************ Well, that was chapter one. Hope it was interesting enough. Anyway, don't forget to review. I live for those things. ^_^  
  
SilverKitsune 


	2. Legacy 2

Ack, I forgot to put in the disclaimers for the last chapter. I don't own FF8! Phew, that's done. Now, onward...  
  
  
  
  
  
LEGACY Chapter Two Departure  
  
  
  
Rinoa sighed, looking down at the dejected look on her dog's face. Angelo always knew when his mistress was going away, and he always made her feel guilty for leaving him behind. His ears drooped, his eyes drooped, even his fur drooped, and he stared up at the girl with the most pathetic puppy dog look in all of Gaia.  
  
"Angelo, for Hyne's sake!" Rinoa stepped over her partner, who was lying right in the walkway of her room, and nearly tripped over him for the third time that day. Sighing, she crouched down and ruffled the dog's ears. "Baby, you know I can't take you with me. They don't allow dogs at the Winhill inn. But, you'll have fun here. Matron will take good care of you, I promise."  
  
Angelo gave her a wounded look and laid his head on his paws. Giving up, Rinoa resumed packing, trying not to think about the weird incident from the day before.  
  
Squall had started towards the boy immedietely, moving with predatory speed of a jungle cat. But he hadn't taken four steps when the boy just...disappeared. He didn't run away; as far as Rinoa could see, he hadn't even moved. He simply wasn't there anymore.  
  
Squall went to report the incident to the Headmaster, stating that he would postpone his vacation, in case some maniac with a gunblade was hanging around the school. And Cid, bless his heart, gently but firmly told the commander that his off time was in no way negotiable. In fact, if Squall inisisted upon staying in Garden, he would be forced to take diciplinary measures against him. "Squall," he had said, "you are going. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Don't worry about Garden. It will not explode if you are not around to watch it."  
  
The commander was forced to relent, but only after he was assured that capable SeeD members would be on the lookout for anything strange. If Garden was endagered, they were to call him back immedietely. Cid had agreed, both knowing perfectly well that the entire Galbadian army would have to declare open warfare on Garden before he allowed the young commander to return before his time.  
  
A light tap on the door interrupted her thoughts. Stepping over Angelo, who still refused to budge, Rinoa crossed the room and slid the door open, revealing a grim looking Squall Leonhart on the other side.  
  
"Well, you're a ray of sunshine this morning," she announced, standing on tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the lips. He didn't return her smile, and she mock frowned at him. "Come on, Squall, don't be moody. Its your vacation; you're supposed to relax and lighten up."  
  
Squall sighed, crossing the threshold and sitting on her still unmade bed, his single duffle bag at his feet. "I just don't think I should be leaving Garden right now," he confessed, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands. Angelo rose from his spot on the floor, hopped up on the bed beside Squall, and lay his head down with a heavy sigh. Rinoa scowled at the both of them and put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Well, between you and Angelo, there's enough angst in this room to drown a drunk man. I don't know which is worse: one sulking because he can't go on vacation, or one sulking because he's being forced to. Somebody is going to have to lighten up, or you'll both be in the doghouse."  
  
Squall exchanged a look with Angelo, who gazed back impassively as if to say: "I was here first, boyo."  
  
"Look, Squall," Rinoa tried again. "You're going whether you like it or not. So, instead of worrying and sulking about it the whole time, just let it go and try to enjoy it."  
  
"I do not sulk," Squall informed her, his eyes still shadowed over with concern. "And its my job to worry about Garden. That's why I'm the commander."  
  
"Whatever," Rinoa said, grinning as if she didn't believe a word of it.  
  
That brought the smirk she was looking for. Standing up, Squall crossed the room in a single stride and trapped against the wall. "Are you calling your commander a liar, miss sorceress?" he asked in a voice that would have been intimidating, if not for the twinkle in his eyes. "I think I might have to pull rank for insubordination."  
  
Rinoa giggled. A month ago, she wouldn't have believed the change that had come over Squall after she had found him in the Time Compression wasteland. Something had happened in that desolate place, to make him realize that life was too short to live alone. Almost immedietely after, his walls began to come down; he became more open and outgoing--a far cry from the cold, hostile young man she had first seen in Timber. He smiled more, and spoke what was on his mind without her having to pry it out with a crowbar. Of course, he would never be as cheerfully outgoing as Zell, and this new personality was reserved exclusively for the people he trusted most, but Rinoa thought she was finally getting to see the real Squall Leonhart.  
  
"All right, you win," he murmured, his mouth quirked up in that wry, lopsided smile she adored. "I promise not to "sulk" on this vacation, and I'll try not to worry about Garden too much. But only if you let me check back every two hours to see that its okay. Deal?"  
  
"Deal," Rinoa agreed, and closed her eyes as Squall leaned in to kiss her.  
  
A loud bang on the door made them both jump. "Yo, Rinny! You ready to go yet?" came the distinctively obnoxious voice of Zell. "Selphie's got the Ragnorock charged and ready! We're just waiting for you and lover boy, and I can't find him anywhere! Have you seen him arou--Eep!"  
  
His last question was cut off as the door whooshed open and he found himself face to face with Squall.  
  
"Oh. You're here." Zell's cheeks could've shamed a tomato. "I guess I'll just, ah, tell Selphie you'll be up in a minute. Um, bye."  
  
He took off down the hall, drawing amused stares from the passing students, his spiky hair flying out behind him. Squall shook his head, hearing Rinoa's muted giggle behind him, and closed the door.  
  
"See?" she said as he turned to face her. "This vacation IS a good idea."  
  
"Why's that?" he monotoned.  
  
"Because THEY won't be around for two whole weeks. It'll be just you and me, alllllllllll by ourselves."  
  
Squall pondered this, then smiled faintly. "I'm beginning to see your point."  
  
* * *  
  
The ride to Winhill took about an hour. During that time, Squall sat in the back with Rinoa and tried to convince himself that Selphie knew what she was doing piloting the ship, even though the Ragnorock would dip, shake or drop violently every few minutes. While Rinoa dozed against his shoulder, he listened to the others talk excitedly about their trip, and what they were doing once they got there.  
  
Selphie, Irvine, and Zell were going to Esthar, to try their luck at the city's many casinos, while Quistis was off to Deling to meet a friend. Listening to their happy chitchat, Squall suddenly realized how genuinely content he was. That yawning emptiness that used to plague him was gone. He had friends; he was feeling things he never gave himself a chance to before. Sometimes, when he became angry or stressed or hurt, he would start to retreat behind that wall of ice that had kept him apart from everyone for so long. But, Rinoa was always there, coaxing him out again, tearing down the walls with her unshakable love and trust. She would not let him become an introverted loner again, and neither would any of the others. Squall was grateful for their patience, and for giving him something he never had before: being a part of a family.  
  
The Ragnorock dropped violently, causing Squall's stomach to jump to his throat. 'You'd think I'd be used to this by now,' he thought ruefully. Rinoa stirred against his arm, and lifted her head, blinking in sleepy confusion.  
  
"Let's go on the Ferris Wheel next," she mumbled drowsily.  
  
Chuckling, Squall squeezed her affectionately, but the next moment his stomach did a backflip as the Ragnorock fell another dozen feet or so.  
  
This time, even Irvine, used to Selphie's wild flying, grabbed the back of a chair. "Um, Selph? We're not flying through an astroid field, are we?"  
  
"Sorry!" came Selphie's apologetic cry. "But, I can't help it! Something's making Rocky act all crazy!"  
  
"Rocky" was her nickname for the Ragnorock. It was her baby, she said, and the others were content to let her have it. Selphie knew the giant ship inside and out, and if she said Rocky was acting unusual, there was no reason to doubt her.  
  
Suddenly, the Ragnorock began shaking so violently, Zell fell out of his chair, and Rinoa grabbed Squall's jacket in alarm.  
  
Then, for a split second, everything went completely black.  
  
"What the hell was that!" Zell exclaimed, picking himself off the floor. "Selphie? You fly through a black hole or something?"  
  
"Like that could really happen!" Selphie scoffed, annoyed at having her flying skills questioned.  
  
Before they could get into an argument, however, there was a loud thump from from the lower floor. Everyone froze.  
  
"Um, Rinny?" Zell asked, "you didn't sneak Angelo on board by any chance, did you?"  
  
Squall stood up. "Zell, Rinoa, you're with me. We'll check out the rest of the ship. Quis, Irvine, stay here and guard Selphie. We don't want to crash if something attacks her while she's piloting."  
  
"Yeah, her flying is hazordous enough," Zell joked as he, Squall, and Rinoa left the room. Selphie threw a parting "Shut up, Zell," over her shoulder. Squall sighed.  
  
The trio approached the cabin cautiously, Squall in the lead, Rinoa and Zell flanking him, ready to back him up. The squad leader didn't even need to give any instructions; his two teammates were already in perfect formation. After numerous battles together, they knew what had to be done without any orders on his part. Weapons out, they stepped through the doorway, ready for anything that came their way.  
  
"Well, lookee here. And I didn't think I'd get a welcoming party," remarked a voice from the back of the room. Squall narrowed his eyes. The voice had a smug, cocky ring to it that was eerily familiar. Where had he heard it before? Then, it hit him.  
  
The voice sounded exactly like a younger version of Seifer.  
  
"Frickin' hell," Zell mumbled, his fists clenched in front of him. He'd noticed it, too. And so did Rinoa, judging from her grim, pale face. Bringing up Lionheart, letting the cool blue light wash into the room, Squall stepped confidently forward.  
  
"Come out of there, whoever you are," he ordered, feeling his teammates press up behind him, ready to attack or defend.  
  
"Geez, don't get your panties in a bind, Leonhart." And a small, slim figure stepped out from behind a chair, his mouth stretched into an all too familiar smirk. "I knew you were a tight ass, but you exceed all my expectations."  
  
"Squall," Rinoa whispered behind him.  
  
It was the dark haired boy from yesterday. He grinned at them cheerfully, and the light glinted off his gunblade as he lifted it and slung it over his shoulder. Squall drew in a breath as he recognized it. Like his own Lionheart, the boy's gunblade also had a name. It was the same weapon that had defended sorceress Edea, all those months ago; the same weapon that had given him the scar on his forehead.  
  
Hyperion.  
  
*************** Well, there's chapter two. This is just a thought, but does anyone else think Angelo is an Australian Shepard? Check out a picture of one if you don't believe me. Dog breeds are a hobby of mine, and Aussies are my favorites. I'd get one if I didn't live in a small apartment. Well, enough babble from me. Time to start chapter three. As always, pllleeeeeeeaasseeee review. ^_^  
  
Arigato, SilverKitsune 


	3. Legacy3

Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to review! You guys are my inspiration! Arigato!  
  
I don't own FF8, of course.  
  
  
  
LEGACY Chapter Three Storm  
  
  
  
Squall stepped into the room, Rinoa and Zell backing him on either side. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded, old hurts and betrayals making his voice harsher than he intended. The boy was so much like a small Seifer, in spirit if not in physical appearance, that he couldn't help his hostile attitude. Everything from his cock-sure, I-can-take-on-the-world stance, to the amused contempt in the steely blue eyes, mirrored his old rival perfectly.  
  
The boy stretched with nonchalant grace, Hyperion winking at Squall like some malicious enemy, reminding him of what the blade had done. "Name's Storm," the boy offered, keeping his gaze on Squall and no one else. Their gazes locked, and the boy's thin smile told him he was enjoying this. "Storm Almasy.  
  
"Yeah, you like that, don'cha Dintch?" he continued, as Rinoa recoiled with a gasp, and Zell gathered himself to spring at the boy. A sharp "Stand down, Zell!" from Squall stopped him just in time.  
  
"You're lying," Squall told the boy calmly, his voice cold and precise as they faced each other again. "We knew Seifer from childhood. He didn't have any family. We would know. Even if he never told us, we would know."  
  
"You're talking about the past," Storm countered, grinning like they were idiots for not knowing what the hell he was talking about. "And you don't know anything. Bet'cha can't explain why the lights suddenly went all haywire, either. Or how in Gaia I landed on this dump of a ship, when this morning, there was only you six on board? Yeah, that's right. I know Trepie, Tilmatt, and the cowboy are here as well. How do you explain that, Fearless Commander?"  
  
"I can't," Squall said evenly, moving closer, his eyes flat and dangerous. "But, you're going to tell me everything you know, right now, or I'm going to cut you in half."  
  
Rinoa and Zell exchanged a brief glance; Squall could feel their eyes on him as he approached the boy. They were a little worried, but they would follow whatever choices he made without question. The commander knew he wasn't acting exactly like himself; threatening the boy like that, but the mere mention of his arch rival's name threatened his life, his friends, and the peace they had fought so hard to acheive. The image of Rinoa standing beside him, pale but determined, sparked a fierce protectiveness he hadn't known he possessed. He would not let her be taken from him; he would fight to keep her, whatever the cost. He had lost far too much already.  
  
Storm sighed, raking a hand through his messy black hair. "Fact is, you wouldn't believe me if I told you," he stated, sounding tired all of a sudden. Leaning against one of the seats, he gazed out the window, as if debating something within himself. After a moment, he looked back at Squall, his face losing some of that maddening arrogance. "First things first, though," he began. "I'm not here to fight you, Leonhart. Despite my name, despite everything you may believe about me, I am not your enemy."  
  
Squall's expression didn't change. "Why are you here, then?"  
  
"Just gotta save the world," Storm replied, and the superior grin was back on his face. "All right, all right, I'll be serious. But, this story is gonna take awhile to explain, so maybe we could go somewhere a little more comfortable? I want the rest of the Brady Bunch to hear this as well. It involves everyone here."  
  
Squall held his ground a moment longer, than dropped Lionheart with a sharp nod. "Fine. We'll join the others. But, Hyperion stays here. Otherwise, you're not setting a foot out of this room."  
  
Storm's lopsided smirk told him the boy was expecting him to say something like that. Reverenly, Storm placed the enemy blade on one of the seats, stepping away and raising his hands to show they were empty.  
  
"Any magic or GFs?"  
  
"Valefor. And a few Curagas."  
  
"Unjunction them."  
  
Storm sighed irritably, but did as he was told. A white sphere of magic rose into the air and disappeared, as the unknown GF vanished from Storm's mind, back to whatever plane it came from.  
  
Storm crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Squll. "Happy now?"  
  
Squall said nothing, but turned on his heel and walked away, motioning Zell and Rinoa to follow him. After a moment's hesitation, and a final glance at Hyperion, Storm followed.  
  
****************  
  
Aaaaah, another chapter. Sorry this one is so short. The next'll be longer, I promise, and I WILL explain what's going on with Storm. Until then, keep reading and reviewing. (I'm so spoiled, I know.)  
  
Arigato, Silverkitsune 


	4. Legacy 4

No ownie Squaresoft! Had to add that, in case some moron thinks these characters are mine.  
  
Legacy 4: Storm's warning  
  
Squall crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the boy, who was currently lounging in one of the seats with his feet up on the headboard, ignoring the astonished, wary looks he was recieving from everyone in the room. His arrogance was infuriating, partly because it reminded him of Seifer and partly because Storm knew he could keep them waiting. His news, whatever it was, seemed of extreme importance, and the cocky brat was going to make them stew and sweat, just because he could. Squall took a deep, furtive breath, and assumed a posture of cold indifference. Two could play at this game.  
  
"I don't suppose you have anything to drink on this flying rust heap?" Storm inquired at length.  
  
Selphie, who was trying to fly the Ragnorock and watch the proceedings at the same time, spun around, bristling like a wet cat. She seemed ready to pounce on the boy who had just insulted her ship, if Irving hadn't yelped at her to grab the controls. Storm snickered nastilly and glanced at Squall.  
  
"This isn't the politest way to treat guests, Leonhart. Don't they teach you manners at that pretty little Garden of yours?"  
  
Squall's expression didn't change. He didn't rise to the bait, either. Quistis stepped forward and gave Storm her coldest, withering look she used for her most unruly students. "Instead of making reference to your utter ignorance, child, why don't you tell us why you're here?"  
  
"Ouch. This must be the famous "ice queen" Seifer kept talking about. Fine, fine. Business before pleasure, right?" Storm sighed and swung his boots off the back of the chair.  
  
"I don't know how to put this in a way that any of you would believe me, so I guess I'll just come out and say it." Storm looked right into Squall's eyes as he continued. "I'm from the future. Seventeen years into the future, to be exact. And before you go all skeptical on my ass, let me tell you a few things that have happened. Or will happen, however you want to look at it."  
  
He paused, and, for the first time, glanced directly at Rinoa. Something flickered in the depths of his steel blue eyes that might have been anger, or fear, or awe, but it was gone before anyone save Squall and the sorceress noticed.  
  
"Exactly one month from today, president Laguna Loire is going to die."  
  
Everyone, Squall included, jerked straight up at that announcement. In the silence that followed, Storm went on, in a voice completely devoid of its normal spite: "He's going to be shot and killed by a sniper's rifle, in full view of the public, and pronounced dead on the scene. The killer will never be found, but a new leader will rise up to take the president's place. A powerful sorceress, the most powerful the world has ever seen."  
  
Squall felt a sickening realization creeping over him as he listened to Storm's words. He didn't want to hear more, and one look at Rinoa told him she was feeling the same. Her skin was deathly pale, and he saw that her hands were trembling. 'Shut up,' he thought at the boy, not wanting to hear more, yet knowing, somehow, what was to come. The venomous look Storm gave Rinoa confirmed it.  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, ms. Heartilly. Its you."  
  
"No," Rinoa said immedietly. She shot a frightened look at Squall, then turned back to Storm, almost pleadingly. "We defeated Ultimacia. She can't possess me again. She's gone. Its over."  
  
Storm glared at her, utter contempt glittering in the steel blue of his eyes. "Who said anything about you being possessed?"  
  
Rinoa put her hands to her mouth and rushed from the room.  
  
Squall's first intention was to go after her. The stricken look on Rinoa's face tore at his heart. His second inclination was to clobber the punk who upset her like that, and who had dropped this bombshell into his relatively peaceful world. He did NOT need to hear this, not now, when his life was finally starting to mean something. He wanted to go to Rinoa and hold her and tell her everything would be all right. He wanted to grab Storm Almasy and pound on him until the brat told him it was a cruel joke, that he was just kidding. Since he could do neither, he sent a pleading look to Quistis, who immedietly got up and went to look for Rinoa. Squall thanked her silently and returned his attention to Storm.  
  
Storm was gazing in the direction Rinoa had gone with a curled lip, a cruel sneer twisting his young features. "Don't feel too sorry for her, Leonhart," he spat. "After everything she's done, its hard for me not to put a sword through her black heart right n--"  
  
He got no further. Squall's fist smashed into his mouth, knocking him out of the chair with a sickening thud. The young commander towered over the boy, his face a stone mask, violence edging every hard line of his body. Zell jumped forward, and Irving put a hand on his shoulder, but Squall made no further move towards the body on the floor.  
  
"Get up," he ordered, and Storm crawled to his feet, glaring at him over a darkening purple bruise. "The next threat out of your mouth, you're going to have to back it up with steel, because I will come after you with everything I have. This is your only warning. Understand?"  
  
Storm turned his head and spat a gob of blood onto the metal floor. "Perfectly."  
  
Squall nodded at the chair and Storm sank back into it, running a thumb over a split lip. "Well, I'm thrilled to see that you're the same sentimental idiot Seifer told me about," he monotoned, watching Squall out of the corner of his eye, probably to see that he didn't get clobbered again. "That's great. Makes my job a lot more interesting."  
  
"And what is your job?"  
  
"I told you." Stom spat again and grinned through bloody teeth. "I'm here to save the world."  
  
Squall wasn't amused. "You'll have to be more specific," he said coldly.  
  
"Fine. You want specific?" The boy crossed his arms and glared around the room, letting his gaze linger on everyone there. "I'm here to prevent a Sorceress war that will slaughter hundreds of thousands, including everyone in this room. In the span of a year, Rinoa Heartilly will unite the Esther and Galbadian governments under her and go on a bloody rampage that will touch every corner in Gaia. No one will be able to stand against her. Garden will fall. SeeD will be annihilated. Citizens will die by the thousands, all for her lust for power. Do you want more specifics, because I can go on. For hours. I can tell you every atrocious thing that will happen for the next seventeen years, unless Rinoa Heartilly is stopped."  
  
Squall felt cold, down in the very bottom of his soul. "You're an assassin, then," he said, hating this boy more and more by the second. "You were sent here to kill her." For a moment, the temptation to draw Lionheart and cut Storm in two was almost overwhelming. Zell and Irving must've been thinking the same, for they were on edge, ready to grab him if he made any threatening moves.  
  
Storm sighed. "No," he said regretfully, shaking his dark head. "No, I'm not here to kill her. She can't die, not yet, anyway. That was made very clear."  
  
"Why?" Squall demanded.  
  
"I can't tell you." Storm shrugged. "I'm not even sure myself. I just know my duty--what I'm supposed to do here. I can't tell you more then that."  
  
Squall could've pressed him, but he didn't. Storm sounded pretty sure about his duty, whatever it was, and would probably follow it down to the letter. He understood that. The concept of duty. They had that much in common, at least.  
  
The boy was watching him, scrutinizing him with those shrewd blue eyes that saw a lot more than he let on. His grim face told Squall that this was far from a cruel joke. That, if Storm's wild time traveler story was to be believed, the situation was serious indeed.  
  
"You don't believe me, do you, Leonhart?"  
  
"Your claim is too serious not to take into account," Squall answered in a neutral voice. Past experience, both with Ellone and Ultimacia's terrible Time Komprehension attempt, had taught him time travel was not impossible. Unlikely, but not impossible. "How did you get here, if you are from the future?"  
  
"Ah." Storm nodded and leaned back in the chair. "Do you remember a machine a certain whacked out doctor was working on, several years ago? One that would supposedly utilize the powers of a young girl, who could transport people's consciousness into the past?"  
  
'Ellone.' Oh, yes, he remembered. How could he forget those weird dreams, when he had viewed the world through the eyes of his father, Laguna Loire? And, of course, there was that time in space, where he attempted to reach a drifting Rinoa using Ellone's special gift. "What about it?"  
  
Storm grinned, taking his time. "Well, a certain faction got a hold of those plans, finished them, and created the world's first "Ellone Time Travel machine." Sounds hokey as hell, but what can I say? It works, apparently."  
  
"Apparently?"  
  
"Ah, well, I was their first test subject. That little incident the other day in Garden? That was our first test. We wanted to run more, for safety's sake, but we were...um...pressed for time."  
  
Squall suspected there was more to this story than Storm was letting on, but at that moment, Selpie crowed from the pilot's seat: "We're approaching Winhill now, Squall! Do you still want me to drop you and Rinny off?"  
  
"No." Squall turned, his mind made up. "We're going to Esther. President Loire needs to be informed of this right now. Until I say otherwise, this vacation is officially on hold."  
  
No one complained. His teammates were SeeD, first and foremost, and understood duty came before all else. Squall said nothing, but was secretly proud of them.  
  
Irvine must've seen the worry on his face, though, for he leaned in and murmured: "Why don't you go check on our lovely ladies and see that they're both okay? I'll keep an eye on the brat."  
  
Squall gave him a nod of thanks and went searching for Rinoa.  
  
He found them in the lower section of the Ragnorock, the place where he and Rinoa had their "heart to heart" talk, not so very long ago it seemed. Quistis was standing next to the very chair he had been sitting in that day, looking utterly lost. She caught sight of Squall and walked over to him, a worried frown creasing her face.  
  
"She's really shook up, Squall. I don't know what to say to her. I'm not really good at these kind of things."  
  
"It's okay, Quis. I'll take it from here." Squall gave her a grateful nod and gestured to the second floor. "Just make sure our "guest" doesn't do anything stupid. I'm not sure I believe him, yet, and I want to keep an eye on him." Quistis saluted smartly and walked briskly out, leaving him alone with Rinoa.  
  
"Rin?" He walked down the isle, his boots knocking softly against the metal floor. "Rin, you okay?"  
  
She was curled up in the chair, in the way that she did whenever she was scared or upset, with her knees drawn up to her chest, shaking uncontrollably. Again, he was strongly reminded of that day in space, before the Esther guards took her away to be frozen, when he realized he was completely and hopelessly in love with her. And, just like that day, he wanted to take her in his arms and shield her from whatever dangers threatened. Because she was his light; she was the one who saved him from his demons, and he would fight the world to protect her.  
  
"Its happening again," came a small, muffled voice from the curled up person in the chair. "Ultimacia is going to possess me again, and I'm going to do horrible things to you and everyone, and people will die fighting me, and...and you'll hate me because I'm so evil and horrible--"  
  
Squall knelt down and pushed Rinoa's knees away from her face, uncurling her so that she had to look at him. Her cheeks were flushed and streaked with tears; she shivered and dropped her gaze, but Squall cupped her chin and gently forced her to look at him.  
  
"Remember what I promised you, that day behind Edea's house?" he asked in a soft voice. Rinoa sniffled and didn't answer. Squall brushed a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I said I would always be your knight. Even if the whole world stood against you, I would be by your side. That promise was not made lightly, Ms. Heartily. Whatever happens, I'm with you. Okay? You don't have to face anything alone." He scooted closer and drew her into his arms, and Rinoa buried her face in his jacket as he smoothed her hair, feeling her heart beating against his. 'I won't let anything happen to her,' he thought feircely. 'I'll fight the whole damned Garden if that's what it takes. Nothing will ever take her away again.' He wondered, later, whether this was commitment or just plain possessiveness, but then decided he really didn't care. Let people think what they would. He had precious little to be possessive of in his lifetime.  
  
Rinoa sniffed and nestled deeper, calmer now, though she still shivered occasionally. "I love you, Squall," she whispered, clutching his shirt as though she were afraid he would disappeared before her eyes.  
  
Squall hesitated. Normally, Rinoa would let him get away with not saying it; she knew he loved her, but today it seemed essential to let her know in words. "Love you, too, Rin," he murmured, as her breathing quieted and she relaxed against him. 'Now and always,' his heart echoed. 'No matter what.'  
  
End part 4 **********************  
  
Geez, it's been awhile. Well, after not having a computer for nearly a year, I was browsing fanfics and realized I still had a story that needed to be completed. I hate leaving stories unfinished. But, as I still don't have a computer, I have to borrow my sister's to finish this. It will get done, I promise you that. Unless, of course, something happens to THIS computer. Oh well. Life is full of risks, yes? Hope to update soon.  
  
Arigato! SilverKitsune 


	5. Legacy 5

I don't own FF8 ( obviously )  
  
Chapter Five:  
  
A murder in Esther  
  
Rinoa watched Squall and Storm leave the president's office and make their way back to the group. She exchanged a worried look with Zell, and both of them braced for the worst. The commander had been talking with Laguna for over an hour, and Rinoa could tell Squall was extremely frustrated, if not downright angry. Storm looked his normal irritating self, but Rinoa didn't know the boy that well, and besides, she wasn't worried about him so much as Squall.  
  
"Uh.so what's up?" Zell ventured as Squall bore down on them, his eyes stony and iced over. Squall made a visible attempt to control his expression and shook his head wearily.  
  
"President Loire has taken our warning into account, and assures us he will be very careful in the future," he stated in a voice dead of emotion. "Other than that, there is really nothing he can do."  
  
Quistis nodded sagely. "That's all we can do, then," she stated in a calm voice, and everyone looked at her. "For now, at least. If Storm says he knows the day and hour the assassination attempt is going to take place, then we can better prepare for it. Unless, there is some other life changing catastrophe ready to happen that we don't know about?" She glared at Storm as she said this, and the boy shook his head.  
  
"Nope. That's it." Storm stretched, ran his fingers through his hair, and looked out the window. "Now, if you'll excuse me. The Esther I know is nothing but a city of smoking ruins. I think I'll do a little sightseeing before we head back to Garden."  
  
"What? You're coming with us?" Zell exclaimed. "But, you gave your warning. Shouldn't you be going back to the future, or wherever you came from?"  
  
The smile Storm gave Zell was both chilling and mysterious. "Not yet. I still have things to do here." Just as quickly, the smile turned into his normal annoying smirk. "Don't worry, though, Chicken Wuss. I'll be gone soon enough."  
  
Zell's red face showed he dearly wanted to pound Storm's teeth in, but he restrained himself in the president's office and stalked away, muttering under his breath.  
  
"Heh. That was too easy," Storm chuckled, and saluted mockingly. "Well, see you chumps in a couple hours-"  
  
"You're not going anywhere," Squall cut in. Storm looked at him with a mock hurt expression on his face, but the commander didn't relent. "Quistis," he snapped, "take him to his quarters and make sure he stays there. President Laguna has insisted that we stay in Esther tonight."  
  
"What? Gimme a break, Leonhart! You can't confine me to quarters like some wanted criminal."  
  
Squall gave him a cold, blank glare. "As far as I'm concerned, and until you prove otherwise, that's exactly what you are."  
  
"This is bullshit, man!" Storm exclaimed. The president's secretary looked up from her desk and gave them a disapproving glare. "I come back here to try to fix what you morons screwed up in the first place, and this is the thanks I get?"  
  
"I don't know who sent you here, or who it is you answer to, but right now, I am commander of Garden." Squall narrowed his eyes and stared Storm down. "You either follow my orders, or you don't and accept the consequences. The choice is yours."  
  
"Fine, fine!" Storm threw up his hands. "But I expect a damn good apology when this is all over, Leonhart." He stalked away without waiting for Quistis, kicking over a chair as he went. Quistis gave Squall a half amused look that said: "why do I have to be the babysitter?" and marched after him.  
  
Squall let out a short breath and ran his fingers through his hair. Rinoa hesitated, then walked up behind him and circled her arms around his waist. She felt the rigid muscles through the thin fabric of his shirt, before Squall sighed and relaxed, placing one gloved hand over hers. She held him only a moment, knowing he was uncomfortable with public displays of affection, before she released him with a final squeeze to let him know she understood.  
  
"What did your father say?" she asked quietly as they left the room.  
  
Squall snorted. "He was less concerned about the potential attack on his life then he was about us spending "quality time" together," he said in disgust. Together, they walked down the long glass hallways, as the city of Esther bustled with life beyond the glass. "Between him pressuring me to come up more often and Storm making snide comments every other sentence, I don't think he heard a word about the assassination attempt. If he did, he certainly won't give it a moment's thought."  
  
"He's your father, Squall," Rinoa soothed. "He hasn't seen you for seventeen years. Both of you didn't know about each other until recently. I think he's trying to make up for lost time."  
  
"I know that," Squall growled, more out of frustration than anger. "I just wish he'd let me deal with this on my own terms." He broke off abruptly to stare out the window, watching the sunlight glint off the sparkling blue and white spires. "All my life, I thought I was an orphan. I didn't know what happened to my parents; if they were dead, imprisoned, or if they just didn't want me anymore. He can't expect me to welcome him back into my life as if nothing happened."  
  
"I think he knows that, Squall."  
  
Squall shook his head. "Anyway, its not important. Let's find the others. I need to let Cid know what's going on."  
  
Later that evening, Rinoa sat in the room president Loire provided for them, idly reading an old issue of her favorite pet magazine found by the bed. Squall was in a conference call with Cid, and she didn't know where the others were.  
  
'Probably out having a good time,' she thought rather enviously. Quistis had been relieved from babysitting duty by one of Esther's guards, so she was free until Squall said otherwise. Zell and the other two, after being updated on the situation, were also free until morning, so they had invited her to explore the city with them. Rinoa had declined, secretly hoping to spend some time with Squall, but the commander had vanished into the Ragnorock and had been gone ever since.  
  
Rinoa skimmed over a passage she had read three times already. 'This is ridiculous,' she thought, tossing the magazine onto the bed. 'Squall's certainly been gone a long time. I'd better see what's going on.'  
  
She rose, ran a brush through her hair, and reached for the doorknob. Before she could touch it, however, something pounded loudly on the other side.  
  
"Rinoa!" came Squall's voice, sounding urgent, almost panicked. "Rinoa, are you all right?"  
  
"Squall?" She opened the door to find him reaching for the handle, ready, she believed, to smash it down. She gasped and her hands flew to her mouth, for Squall's shirt was drenched in red; there was red spattered on his face and streaked through his hair. She grabbed him wildly, terrified. "Oh, Hyne, what happened! You're hurt!"  
  
"Its not mine," Squall panted, stumbling in and slamming the door behind him. He scanned the room, then clutched her to him, breathing hard. Rinoa felt the thud of his heart and craned her neck up to look at him. "Squall, its all right. I'm fine. What's going on?"  
  
"Odine is dead," he told her, still refusing to let her go. "He and several associates were found murdered in their lab downstairs, still dripping blood onto the floor. All their equipment was destroyed, and someone had attempted to start a fire when we got there."  
  
"Oh, my god," Rinoa whispered. She remembered Odine as a crazy, badly dressed scientist with a thick accent and cold, clammy hands. She didn't like him at all, the way he made her feel like an experiment, a guinea pig he could poke and prod, but she certainly hadn't wanted him dead. "Do you know who did it?"  
  
Squall's voice was grim. "The scientists were sliced into pieces, cut down with a very large, very sharp blade."  
  
"Oh no. Squall, no." She didn't want him to go on, but he did, even though she knew what he was going to say next.  
  
"The soldier guarding Almasy was found unconscious, and his room was empty."  
  
Ooooh, the plot thickens. So, what do you think Storm is trying to do? Questions? Criticisms? Comments? All are welcome. Please, please, tell me what you think.  
  
Arigato, SilverKitsune 


	6. Legacy 6

Chapter Six  
  
After twenty-four hours of searching the city of Esther, there was still no sign of Storm.  
  
"Where the hell could the little scab have run off to?" Zell grumbled as he, Squall, and Rinoa trudged back to the presidential building, tired, frustrated, and completely empty handed. They and several squads of Esther soldiers had searched the city from top to bottom and had all the main roads barricaded, but Storm appeared to have vanished into thin air.  
  
Squall raked his hand through his bangs. "I was an idiot for bringing him here," he muttered, resisting the urge to punch his fist through the first window he saw. Now, because of him, Odine was dead, a mass murderer was on the loose, and innocent people were in danger. Most importantly, the president was in danger. Squall still refused to think of Laguna as his father, but he did make a damn good president, and the city would suffer terribly if he were to die.  
  
"So, what do we do now?" Rinoa asked, pushing a strand of jet black hair behind her ears. She had been quiet all day, Squall realized, following his orders without comment, and he had been too wrapped up in the search to notice her quiet withdrawal. But now, he saw the disappointment in her eyes, heard the sadness and frustration in her voice even as she tried to keep up a cheerful façade. He wanted to tell her he was sorry, for the vacation, for Storm's accusations towards her, for dragging her into all of this, but they hadn't had any time alone to talk. Perhaps now, he could make the time.  
  
"Rinoa," he began, hoping she could walk with him to his present room, "Will you-"  
  
"Squall!" came Selphie's voice, and the petite girl in yellow came racing down the hallway towards him. "Squall, Headmaster Cid is on the Ragnorock line! He wants to speak with you about the current situation A.S.A.P!"  
  
Squall swore.  
  
"Right, I'll take care of that now," he sighed, wishing he could just dig a hole and crawl inside, away from Garden and Cid and the whole damned world. Rubbing the weariness from his eyes, he turned to find the other three watching him, waiting for orders.  
  
"Find the other two," he stated, referring to Trepe and Kinneas. "Tell them we'll all meet in my quarters at 0-400. Tell them to get something to eat first. All of you, get some rest, get some food, and we'll converge in a couple hours." He returned the salute Zell and Selphie gave him. "Go."  
  
Rinoa stayed behind as the other two scampered off, watching Squall quizzically with large brown eyes. "You gonna be okay?" she asked, frowning a bit in concern. "Do you want me to bring you something to eat in a little while?"  
  
"I'm fine," Squall answered brusquely, already thinking of what he was going to have to report to Cid. Glancing up, he saw her still standing there and frowned. "Go locate Quistis and Irvine," he said, waving her off. "I'll be there when I can."  
  
Rinoa huffed. "Don't strain yourself, your majesty," she said, and flounced away down the hall.  
  
Great. Now Rinoa was mad at him on top of everything else.  
  
Entering the hanger, he spotted "Rocky" at the far end of the massive room, a bright crimson monster amid the dull gray and white of the other ships. As he approached, the ship began to vibrate, emitting the distinctive, high- pitched hum it used when it was about to take off.  
  
"What the hell?!"  
  
Breaking into a run, Squall charged the ship, reaching the outer doors just as the engines came to life with an earsplitting whine. Immediately drawing Lionheart, Squall headed for the cockpit and burst into the room, ready to crack the skull of the moron who thought he could steal his ship.  
  
Storm whirled around from the control panel, his blue eyes widening in shock. Squall was caught off guard as well, and for a moment, the two stared at each other, surprise mirrored on their faces, as the Ragnorock hummed and vibrated around them. Then Storm made a desperate, lunging dive for Hyperion on a front seat, and Squall charged forward to attack. Storm was quick, and Hyperion was closer, so he managed to grab his weapon and bring it up to meet Squall's furious downward slash.  
  
The two gunblades met with a ringing clang and a flurry of sparks.  
  
Snarling, Squall pushed Storm back and swiped viciously at his head, which the boy ducked and maneuvered desperately for room. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of space in the Ragnorock's narrow cockpit, and he quickly found himself backed against the control panel. Squall stood before him, a deadly calm to his demeanor, Lionheart throwing an eerie blue-green light off the cockpit walls.  
  
"Put down your weapon, Storm," Squall ordered, the steel in his voice matching the look in his eyes. "Surrender now, or Hyne help me I will put a sword through your gut right now." Storm shook his head. "I didn't kill Odine, Leonhart," he said forcefully, refusing to drop his weapon. "I know you're convinced that I killed those scientists, but I swear, it wasn't me."  
  
"Bullshit," Squall said immediately, bringing Lionheart to an attack position. "If it wasn't you, who was it?"  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
"Fine," Squall muttered, tired of the conversation, and swung at him again. Storm lunged forward to meet him, and the cockpit was filled with the sound of steel on steel.  
  
Squall had to admit, as they danced around the tiny room, the boy was certainly knew what he was doing. Someone had trained him well. It wasn't hard to figure out who, or whose style he was using; he had seen it many times before.  
  
But, if he knew the style, he also knew how to counter it. As Storm performed a familiar upwards slice to his face, he smacked it away, and stepped in with a kick to Storm's unprotected side. His boot connected squarely with the boy's ribs and sent him flying into the door, where he bounced off and crumbled to the ground, momentarily stunned.  
  
"I didn't kill Odine," Storm said through gritted teeth, as Squall put the point of Lionheart to his neck. "Dammit, Leonhart, will you please listen to me. Why would I kill the inventor of the time travel machine, when by doing so I would have no way to get here in the future?"  
  
That threw Squall momentarily. "What?"  
  
Strom sighed. "If Odine was killed before he could invent the Ellone time travel device, his knowledge would die with him. Therefore, in the future- my present-we wouldn't have a time travel machine. Therefore, I wouldn't be here right now. Events happening in this time will affect the circumstances of the future."  
  
"But, Odine IS dead, and you're still here," Squall pointed out, trying, with difficulty, to keep up with this story.  
  
"That's because I've already taken his plans and sent them back to the future for safekeeping," Storm replied, looking rather smug. "We had a feeling someone was going to follow me here to stop me, and what better way than to make sure the time travel machine never got invented? But, Odine had the makings of the machine in his computer already. I simply copied them onto a disk and sent them back to my time. It was the first thing I did here, actually, before I even met you."  
  
"So, you believe someone else from the future murdered Odine and tried to set fire to his lab, just to keep you from coming here and doing whatever it is you're supposed to do?"  
  
"That's about the gist of it."  
  
Squall put a hand to his forehead. This conversation was making his head hurt. "All right," he said slowly, lowering his blade. "I still don't trust you, but let's say your story is true. If you didn't kill Odine and those scientists today, who did?"  
  
Storm hesitated.  
  
"We can stand here all day, until you tell me," Squall offered quietly.  
  
The boy let out his breath in a huff. "You did, Leonhart!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I said you wouldn't believe me. I didn't want to tell you until I was sure you would accept it." Storm raked his hands through his hair and glared at Squall. "Things are going to happen soon, Commander. Huge events that will shape the rest of history. You, the Sorceress, Garden, SeeD-you're all going to be caught up in it. I can't tell you everything now, because it might ruin everything I've come here to do. But, if you don't start trusting me, this world is going to spin down into a pit of destruction and evil so deep you'll never be able to claw your way out. AND YOU MIGHT BE THE VERY ONE TO CAUSE IT, LEONHART!"  
  
Squall was taken aback by the boy's vehemence. Storm took a deep breath, walked across the room and picked up his sword. For a moment, he just studied his reflection in the length of the blade, as if trying to make a hard decision. Finally, he sighed and turned around.  
  
"Have you ever heard of the Adel faction?" he asked softly.  
  
Squall shook his head.  
  
"It's a group of maniacs who are trying to bring back the days when Adel ruled Gaia," Storm said, still not looking at him. "When Adel fell from space, frozen and paralyzed as in her amber prison, they were the ones who freed her before you and the rest of your team arrived to rescue Rinoa."  
  
"I thought it was Seifer," Squall interrupted. "He was the one who gave her Rinoa, trying to meld the two sorceresses together."  
  
"And the Adel faction had no problems with that. They just thought it would make Adel stronger. It's a funny thing, because Rinoa was in fact the stronger sorceress, and would eventually have taken over Adel's mind if the meld had been completed."  
  
It chilled Squall to think about Rinoa that way. "What are you trying to get at, Almasy?"  
  
"The Adel faction is still alive and well," Storm continued, sheathing his blade and finally looking Squall in the eye. "At this moment, somewhere in Gaia, they are trying to resurrect the body of Sorceress Adel, to wreck her vengeance upon those who stood against her so long ago."  
  
"That's impossible. We killed Adel when we saved Rinoa."  
  
"Did you, Leonhart? Think back carefully. You never did see her body, did you?"  
  
Squall hesitated. The truth was, he was so relieved when Rinoa was freed of the evil sorceress, he failed to notice if Adel was really dead. A cold lump settled in his stomach at the thought that Adel was still alive, and he had been the cause.  
  
"Where are they?" he asked, his voice stony with determination. If Adel was still alive somewhere, he would find her and make sure she would never rise again. He would not make the same mistake twice.  
  
But Storm shook his head. "No one knows. Not even me. They're too well hidden for anyone to find. All I know is, Adel is going to rise soon, and the only thing that has been on her mind for a long, long time, has been revenge. She'll come after SeeD, and Garden, and your sorceress, Leonhart. She'll come after Rinoa because Rinoa will be the only person alive who can match her powers."  
  
The cold lump that had settled in Squall's stomach now spread to the rest of his body. He was about to grab Strom and go find Rinoa, just to make sure she was safe, when the windshield suddenly imploded. Glass showered everything, and both gunblade users covered their faces, hissing as razor shards cut their skin and sliced their clothes to rags.  
  
"What the hell!" Squall's furious shout died on his lips, as he saw the person on the nose of the plane calmly step down into the room. The newcomer's hair was shorter, his face more lined and weathered, and his shoulders broader, but his eyes were the same stormy blue, and the scar sliced down the bridge of his nose prevented any doubt.  
  
Squall Leonhart looked down at his younger self, and his lips curved in a grim smile. Blood caked a familiar glowing blade as he raised it and pointed it at the stunned Garden commander. "You're on the losing side, my friend," he said quietly, and leaped into the room.  
  
* * * Blah, I hate not having a computer. Had to finish this up at the library. Sorry for the late post. Anyway, please read and review. Arigato. SilverKitsune 


	7. Legacy 7

Hmm, let's see. Nope. Still don't own FF8.  
  
Legacy 7 The fallen knight  
  
Squall Leonhart rarely, if ever, allowed himself to become frightened during battle. Even if the enemy was far superior and the odds overwhelming, his training as a SeeD pushed him to fight even if things looked their bleakest. He had won many battles he wasn't supposed to simply because he never let himself feel emotions such as fear, despair, or grief. Rinoa once accused him of being heartless, but a soldier fighting a war had no use for such emotion; it only distracted him, made him weak. He had learned to block out these dangerous feelings, even when facing a clearly superior opponent.  
  
But now, looking into the chilling eyes of the person most familiar to him in the world—himself—Squall Leonhart felt the cold hand of terror squeeze his heart. This was him, and yet it wasn't. Squall knew his own shortcomings. He knew that many saw him as being cold and heartless, with no feelings whatsoever. That was a lie and he knew it; the truth was he FELT too much. And so he would close off the world with the intent of not feeling that anguish ever again. Rinoa had seen past his front. She saw the emotions, even behind his wall of ice. They were there, albeit hidden, and she never gave up on him, once she saw the real Squall trying to masquerade as something he was not.  
  
This was different. Squall looked into this man's eyes, eyes so much like his own, and saw nothing. No light, no soul, nothing but the cold, frozen abyss of one who fell into darkness long ago, and was never able to find his way back to the light. What chilled him most was the knowledge that this person, this shell, might very well be his future. This WAS Squall Leonhart, and he was terrified of the implications.  
  
The future Squall gave him a smile devoid of any warmth and took a frightening step forward. Blood dulled the edges of a familiar looking blade, his very own Lionheart, except this Lionheart had very recently taken the lives of nearly a dozen innocents. For as long as he could remember, Squall always hated the sight of blood on his weapon, cleaning it off as soon as opportunity presented itself. It seemed his future self had no such reservations.  
  
"Leonhart," Storm whispered, and Squall noted his voice was trembling. "How did you get here? What do you think you're doing?"  
  
The future Squall turned a lifeless glare on him. "I'm afraid your time travel device is no longer in the hands of the resistance," he stated.  
  
Storm went ghostly pale. "What...what did you do to them?"  
  
Leonhart smiled his chilling smile, and threw something at Storm's feet. Squall glanced down at the item, and his heart grew cold.  
  
A silver cross lay there in the blinking lights of the Ragnorock. It was attached to a short chain, though both chain and pendant were covered in blood. He had seen it before. It once belonged to his most desperate rival.  
  
The bloody cross was Seifer's.  
  
"Compliments of Adel," Leonhart said in a voice barely above a whisper. In the flickering lights, his eyes gleamed like some malicious demon. "I wouldn't worry about it, though. You'll be joining him very shortly. You AND your precious sorceress." His smile grew brighter, more evil, as he raised his sword. "I told you I would have my revenge."  
  
Squall understood nothing of this exchange; he only heard one thing. And it left him feeling more sick and frightened then he ever felt in his life. Somehow, sometime in the future, he had turned on his beloved Rinoa. The person he had sworn to protect with his heart and soul, the one who meant more to him than anything in the world, had been betrayed, by her own knight.  
  
"Squall," mumbled Storm, and Squall knew he was speaking to him and not the fallen knight standing across from them. "Go to Rinoa. Protect her with everything you have in you. Do not, for the sake of the future, let her out of your sight. And pray to whatever gods you believe in that it will be enough."  
  
Leonhart then turned his soulless eyes on his younger self. "Run to your sorceress, boy," he whispered. "Protect her while you can. Because you won't be able to much longer, I promise you that."  
  
And he lunged.  
  
Later, Squall could not believe how quickly the fallen knight moved. He knew in that one instant that Storm did not have a chance against him. He wondered if HE stood a chance against himself. The other Squall moved with the speed of a demon, directly for Storm, his gunblade slashing down in a deadly, fatal arc. Squall knew he would never get there in time, and braced for the sight of Storm's severed body to crumple to the Ragnorock floor.  
  
Instead, a blinding light exploded in front of Leonhart, hurling him back with the force of Ifrit's Hellfire blow. Mystified, Squall watched his alter self go flying out the shattered window, and heard him hit the cement floor with a sickening crack. Whirling around, he saw Rinoa standing at the back of the room, one slender hand outstretched, a grim, determined look on her face. Slowly, her arm dropped back to her side, and she began to tremble violently.  
  
"Rinoa," Storm blinked. He seemed shocked to find himself still alive. "When did you come in? How...how much of that did you hear?"  
  
Rinoa's eyes were glassy. She tried to meet Squall's gaze, but for some reason the knight was averting his eyes. "I heard him talking about Adel, and how you would be joining someone shortly," she whispered, still trying to get Squall to look at her. "And I heard him talking about getting revenge...on me."  
  
Squall ached to go to her, to wrap her in his arms and hold her close, as he had done that day in this very room, up in space. However, something held him back. Perhaps, it was Leonhart's own chilling words, or the knowledge that sometime in the future, something had gone horribly wrong between sorceress and knight, enough to make him turn on her. He didn't know if Rinoa wanted him near her at the moment. Hell, he didn't know if he wanted to be around himself.  
  
"Squall," Storm called softly. The boy was looking out the broken window with a grim expression. Squall forced himself away from Rinoa and looked to where Storm was pointing.  
  
The floor beneath Ragnorock was empty. There was a pool of blood, and a spattered trail that disappeared under one of the other ships, but other than that, the room was deserted. Leonhart was gone.  
  
"We haven't seen the last of him," Storm mumbled, shaking his head. "He's relentless. He'll never give up until he achieves what he's come to do." He sighed and raked his hands through his hair with a trace of his old confidence. "This is going to complicate things..."  
  
"That..." Rinoa's soft, disbelieving voice wavered as she looked at the boy. Storm glanced at her almost fearfully. "That was Squall, wasn't it Storm? That was Squall...from the future? From your future?"  
  
"...Yeah," Storm rasped, as Squall closed his eyes in despair. "Yeah, Rinoa. That was Squall."  
  
"Rinny!" There was the sound of thudding feet, and a moment later, Zell and Selphie came up the lift into the cockpit. One look at the room, and they both gasped. "Squall?" gaped Zell, staring at him bug eyed. "Storm?! What the hell is going on?"  
  
"Oh my god, oh my god! Rocky!" wailed Selphie, taking note of the trashed room. Glass littered the floor, the instruments were damaged, and several seats had been slashed to ribbons by swinging gunblades. "My poor baby, what did they do to you?"  
  
It took several moments for them to calm down, and for Squall to regain some semblance of order. Naturally, they both wanted to know what was going on, but Squall refused to say anything on the matter. He told them to escort Storm to a room, and to wait there with him for further orders. He also told them that no one was to be informed of the boy's appearance until he gave the order himself. Storm eyed him warily at this point, but for once, decided to cooperate without a fuss. As the three of them left the ship, Squall managed to keep his blank Commander's face intact, until he was left alone.  
  
Correction. Left alone, with Rinoa.  
  
Squall gazed out the shattered window, afraid that if he met her eyes he would see nothing but contempt, or worse yet, fear. He didn't know what he would do if she was afraid of him, but he was pretty sure it would involve either him throwing himself at her feet, or plunging Lionheart into his own chest. Not for the first time, he felt sick and ashamed. He didn't know what to tell her. How could he dare apologize to his sorceress, when both of them had seen exactly who he was, what he truly would turn into?  
  
Bile rose in the back of his throat, along with a bitter self loathing so strong he almost choked on it. Rinoa would surely despise him now. Even if she didn't hate him, how could she ever trust him again, knowing what he would become? Inwardly, he cursed himself, both future and present, and, for a moment, wished he had died in that Time Comprehension wasteland. Maybe then, he would never have to see the demon Squall Leonhart would become...  
  
"Squall!"  
  
Squall jerked out of his self loathing and realized Rinoa was standing right beside him with an irritated look on her face. He knew that look. It was the same one she gave him when he drifted off into his own private world and she had to yank him back to the present, usually after saying his name several times in a row.  
  
"Sorry, Rin," he muttered, out of nervous habit. But he still couldn't look her in the eye. Inside, he was trembling, debating whether or not he should grab her tight and beg her not to hate him, not to leave him, because that THING she saw a few minutes ago wasn't him, it couldn't be, and even if it was, she had to give him a chance to prove himself.  
  
Instead, he nearly jumped a foot in the air when a soft hand touched his face. Rinoa gently cupped the side of his cheek and turned his face to hers. Squall resisted just a moment, then met her gaze in resignation.  
  
"Why are you hiding from me?" she asked softly. And, before Squall could say anything, added: "I know what you're thinking, Squall Leonhart. Do you think I don't know It's the same nightmare I face whenever I imagine Ultimacia possessing me again. That, someday in the future, I might turn on those I love the most. It's scary and frightening, and if you think about it too much, you start to hate yourself. I've certainly had my moments of hate and self-pity, where I wondered if it would just be easier to kill myself in order to spare the future my insanity.  
  
"But, you know what?" she continued, her eyes boring into his very soul. "I've thought about it a lot; about Ultimacia and myself, and what Storm said about me, and I've come to this conclusion. The future is just that. It isn't here yet, and the only thing I can work on now is the present. I'm gonna make the present count, and hope it will be enough to change that future, because that's all I can do right now."  
  
"What if it isn't?" Squall demanded, more out of desperation than anger. "What if you do your best to prevent that future, but it happens anyway? How can you know for sure?"  
  
Rinoa smiled faintly. "No one can predict the future, Squall," she said, falling back on one of her old phrases. "But, we've gone through some pretty desperate times before, and came out okay. The only thing I want to be sure of is this: that I won't have to fight alone. As long as I'm with...with you," she said, faltering a bit, "I think I can face anything the future has to throw at us. As long as you're beside me..." She broke off, suddenly unsure, not wanting to embarrass him. But Squall captured her waist and drew her close again. Rinoa looked up at him with deep, trusting brown eyes, completely confident in her knight, never thinking for a moment that he would ever turn on her. Squall wished he had that confidence himself; he wanted to tell he how grateful he was. For her trust, and for turning a nightmare situation into something he could deal with. He was never good with words, so he summed up his feelings in one simple phrase that meant the world to them both.  
  
"I'll be here," he murmured, and watched Rinoa's eyes light up with understanding.  
  
"Waiting for you," she whispered back. He smiled and continued, reciting a promise that held a world of emotion for him, one that he never regretted, and would promise her again and again.  
  
"So, if you come here..."  
  
"You'll find me."  
  
"I promise," Squall finished. Rinoa's eyes misted over and she threw her arms around his neck. Squall held her tightly, felt the beat of her heart against his own and, for a brief moment, wondered what Cid had felt when he ordered them to kill Edea, the sorceress he had failed to protect. And at that moment, on the second floor of the Ragnorock, Squall Leonhart prayed to Hyne that Rinoa would never have to look into the eyes of her own knight, and be forced to kill him.  
  
Another chapter done, whew. My life has been so crazy lately, it's been difficult to write anything. But, I promised I would finish this and I will. Thanks to all who have reviewed. I'm glad that there are still people who love Squall and Rinoa as much as I do.  
  
Arigato, Silverkitsune 


	8. Legacy 8

A huge thank you to Noacat, the goddess of reviews. You've encouraged me so much, and this chapter is dedicated to you. May your dreams be filled with a handsome gunblader in tight pants.  
  
Sadly, I still do not own FF8.  
  
LEGACY Chapter eight: Through the eye of the storm  
  
Storm sighed.  
  
He really didn't blame them, he supposed. He knew, when he first came to this time, that his initial welcome was going to be less then warm. He realized that, with a last name like Almasy, the heroes of this age were going to treat him like he was the next evil Sorceress's knight. It was ironic, really. That they were all ready to jump on him, accuse him, and condemn him, when the Soulless One was standing right in their midst.  
  
Or, at least, the future Soulless One.  
  
He sighed again. It was all very sordid.  
  
"What's your problem, Almasy?" Zell Dincht spat from the corner of the room. Storm glanced at him and sneered.  
  
"My problem is your head, Chicken Wuss. Does having the hairstyle of a chocobo attract the ladies in this time?"  
  
"SHUT UP! You want a fist in your mouth, punk?"  
  
"Zell," Quistis warned in her stern teacher voice. Zell backed off, red faced, and stalked to the other side of the room to box the air.  
  
What's the matter, Zell? Swatting flies? Storm chuckled. Seifer was right; it was a lot of fun to antagonize the hotheaded martial artist. Not that he hated him. On the contrary, Zell was probably the one he respected the most.  
  
Zell Dincht. The Tempest, they called him in his time. A warrior whose skill was matched only by his fighting spirit. He would grow even more powerful, Storm thought, smirking as he watched Zell go through his routine. He would mature, and that legendary temper of his would terrorize the SeeD of Balamb Garden daily. Storm's grin faltered at the thought, and he turned away. He envied Dincht his carefree spirit, one that he himself never had the chance to experience. And he pitied the boy who would have to rise up and take control of Garden and SeeD, after the former Commander so callously abandoned them. He pitied the man who would be stabbed to death, in the back, by someone he once considered his best friend.  
  
As for the others, well, they had been gone before his time, although all were revered as heroes. In what had once been Trabia, in a frozen valley where none dared to enter now for rumors of restless ghosts, there were tales of a huge, snow-covered cemetery. He had never seen it, but Seifer told him of a memorial that stood in the very center, dedicated to all the brave souls who had perished in the Second Sorceress War. And atop the memorial was the statue of a weary cowboy, his rifle hanging at his side, his face turned towards the eastern sky. The most famous story of the Trabian graveyard spoke of a small, mournful ghost who could sometimes be seen on moonless nights, hugging the statue and crying.  
  
Then, there was Quistis Trepe. Headmaster Trepe, actually, just before Garden fell for the final time. The few books he had read of Balamb Garden mentioned her, briefly, but Seifer, who would tell grand, exaggerated stories of the days he knew the "Orphanage Gang," rarely did. In fact, he only spoke of her when Storm pressed him, becoming angry, irritable, and evasive when he mentioned her at all. Storm would never confess, but he had found a picture of Quistis in Seifer's quarters once, yellowed with age and hidden in the pages of an old book. He stopped asking about Headmaster Trepe after that, and Seifer never spoke of her again.  
  
Seifer. Storm winced at the thought and clenched his fist, feeling the edges of the metal cross dig into his palm. Seifer was probably dead, along with the rest of their small resistance force. The Soulless One had been after them for years now, nursing a personal vendetta from the days the world knew him as Squall Leonhart. He was a relentless, nightmarish demon, and the resistance force was terrified of him. Even Seifer refused to challenge him, after a savage encounter that left him half dead, one armed, and blind in one eye.  
  
And now, Seifer was gone, and the Soulless one was here, in this time. For him. The last of the resistance.  
  
I can't fail. Even against Leonhart, I have to stay and finish what I came to do. Seifer is counting on me.  
  
Even so, the enormity of his task was almost overwhelming.  
  
The doors opened with a hiss, and Rinoa entered the room, followed closely by Squall. Everyone in the group, save him, snapped to attention.  
  
I bet you're not feeling so hot now, are you, Mr. Big Commander? How do you explain this one to the lemmings? 'Well, gang, the good news is we found the raging, homicidal maniac who killed those scientists the other night. The bad news is, well, hey it's me!'  
  
He narrowed his eyes, giving the Commander a malicious smirk. Just because he had been sent through time to save the world, didn't mean he had to like the people in it.  
  
And Leonhart has much to answer for.  
  
"Almasy!"  
  
He jerked upright. Squall was striding towards him with a cold, murderous look in his eyes, one that went beyond mere dislike and contempt. For a split second, Storm felt terror squeeze his heart, as he saw the Soulless One mirrored in the thunderous eyes of Squall Leonhart.  
  
The Commander's gloved hand shot out, and for a moment, Storm thought Squall was going to hit him. But, Leonhart only grabbed the collar of his ragged shirt and dragged him away from the window, into the center of the room. Storm opened his mouth to protest, but was thrown rather painfully to the floor. The air whooshed from his lungs, and his biting comment turned into a breathless gasp.  
  
"Start talking," Squall demanded, looking like an angry wolf ready to pounce should he make any sudden moves. Storm gulped oxygen into his starved lungs and decided to remain on the floor as the Commander circled him, almost daring him to try to get up. "I want to know why you're here, Storm. I want to know what you're hiding from us."  
  
"I can't tell you," Storm panted, cursing Squall for bringing this up much earlier than anticipated. "You're not supposed to know these things. If I told you, it might affect future events—"  
  
"The hell it will!" Squall exploded, reaching down and dragging him to his feet. "I was just attacked by myself a few minutes ago, and it scared the shit out of me! Hyne, how am I supposed to take this? I will not wait around for this supposed future to happen when I could be doing something to prevent it."  
  
"You can't prevent it!" Storm snarled, on the verge of losing his temper himself. "Because you're the catalyst that sends everything to hell in the first place!" Squall released him and took a step back, and Storm pressed his advantage, hurling the words at him like stones. "Yeah, you, Mr. Big Shot Commander! If it wasn't for your weakness, the Sorceress War wouldn't have happened! You're the one who betrays Rinoa, you're the one who turns her against the world—!" Storm clamped his mouth shut, silently cursing himself for spilling far too much information.  
  
Squall was pale now, and Storm was mentally bashing his head against the wall. Hyne, Storm, what the hell are you doing? What is Leonhart going to do, now that you've let that juicy bit of info slide? Stupid stupid stupid!  
  
"Squall..." Quistis began, and that seemed to snap the young commander out of his trance. He took a deep breath and gave Storm a look that said this is far from over, before turning away.  
  
"Recent events have made it...dangerous...for us to stay here," he informed the rest of the group in a flat, monotone voice. Storm caught the wince that went around the room, as Squall's companions tried to adjust to his sudden change from best friend to Garden Commander. "In light of the current situation, I believe it is best to return to Garden. We'll be leaving as soon as the Ragnorock is ready to fly again, sometime tomorrow evening from what the mechanics tell me."  
  
"Do you think that's best, Squall?" Irving asked softly from the corner. Squall didn't even look at him.  
  
"The President will be safe." Squall dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand. "There is no reason to remain in Esther. We've given our warning, and there is nothing more for us to do."  
  
Right. You know the Soulless One isn't after the President, don't you, Leonhart? You think Rinoa will be safer in that pretty little Garden of yours. You forget, he knows Garden and SeeD just as well as you.  
  
Still, he allowed, out of all the places in Gaia, Garden is probably where I'd go as well. At least there, we have a chance of standing against him. Hyne, this is going to get bloody before everything is over. I hope these chumps are up to it.  
  
He caught Squall Leonhart's chilling gaze and sighed inwardly, knowing the battle between them wasn't over.  
  
That night, Storm lounged in his room, sharpening Hyperion and listening to Zell and Irving argue over which was better, Poker or Triple Triad. The girls were in the adjoining room; Storm could occasionally make out Selphie's cheerful voice or Quistis' calm, serious one. The Commander had disappeared to who knew where, and had probably taken his sorceress with him.  
  
Yawning, the weary gunblader gave his weapon a final swipe and slid it back in its sheath. The argument between Zell and the cowboy was getting rather heated, Irving's amused, sarcastic coolness only fanning Zell's belligerence. Storm rolled his eyes, biting back a sneering remark. How did these people ever defeat Ultimecia? When he was growing up, there hadn't been time for silly games...  
  
"Fine, let's get a second opinion on this!" Zell snapped, whirling around in his chair. "Yo! Almasy!" he barked, startling the boy, who almost dropped his sword, "which is better for attracting girls; poker or Triple Triad?"  
  
"Huh?" Storm blinked at him, momentarily confused. Chicken Wuss was asking his opinion for something? I must be hearing things. But no, Zell sighed and repeated the question, in a voice completely devoid of mockery.  
  
Caught off guard, both at the question and the seriousness of it, Storm forgot to be snide. The last thing he expected was to be addressed like he was just part of the gang. "Uh...I don't know," he stammered, leaning Hyperion against the wall. "I've never played poker or Triple Triad, so I couldn't tell you."  
  
"Oh." Zell sat back and frowned. "That's too bad. Wanna learn?" He stood and dug in the pockets of his huge shorts, pulling out a battered deck of cards. "I have an extra deck, if you wanna play. It ain't as good as Squall's, but I can certainly beat the pants of stupid cowboys who think poker is better."  
  
Irving gave him a smirking, dignified look. "Poker is a game for gentlemen, so I wouldn't expect you to get it at all."  
  
"Like you're a gentleman!"  
  
"Women think so, yes."  
  
"Really? Why don't we ask Selphie's opinion on that one?"  
  
"How do you play the stupid game, already?" Storm interrupted, just to get them to shut up. Or, perhaps, deep down in his hardened soul, he was a little curious, after all. In any case, Zell ceased squabbling with his cowboy teammate and pulled a chair over to the window.  
  
Triple Triad was fairly easy, once you had gotten the hang of all those little numbers in the corners. After that, it was a simple game of strategy, provided your opponent's cards weren't insanely more powerful than your own. As Zell, after letting Storm win the first few rounds, demonstrated quite effectively.  
  
"Dammit, how many Bombs do you have in that deck?" Storm exploded after another massacre, where his little Bugbites and Geezers were just way out of their league. Zell chuckled and scooped up his "training deck," where it disappeared into his pockets again. His player's deck went into a handsome black box with a tiny silver lock, before it joined the other cards in the bottom of his shorts.  
  
"You think my deck is tough? You should see Squall's. He's got some one- of-a-kind cards that collectors would give their eyeteeth for. Damn, he has a nice deck." Zell looked wistful, and Irving's deep chuckle came from the corner table.  
  
"See, kid? You don't see gamblers drooling over another man's deck."  
  
"Shut up! You're one to talk, Mr. my-tongue-hangs-out-around-pretty- women."  
  
Storm sneered. "Huh. I didn't think Mr. Big Shot Commander would lower himself to playing cards," he said in a condescending voice. "Guess there's more to him than an arrogant mouth and a big sword."  
  
"There's a lot you don't know about him," Irving stated calmly. "He's just as human as the rest of us."  
  
"Yeah, you shouldn't believe everything Seifer told you about Squall, ya know," Zell added rather indignantly. "They were mortal enemies. Of course Seifer would've painted him in the worst possible light."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. My mistake, of course." Storm stood up, trying to keep the angry words inside, but the festering wound, fed by bitterness and hate, had opened again, and the poison leaked right out of his mouth. "You'll have to excuse me, but after seeing what Leonhart did in my time, I don't have such a warm and fuzzy memory of him like the rest of you. And yeah, Seifer wasn't very fond of him, but he did raise me when another would've let me die. So don't either of you get all self righteous on me now, cause I've seen things that would make you both sick. I—" He broke off, taking deep breaths, trying to quell the burning rage and bitterness eating him up inside. Seifer had warned him of this; letting his emotions get the better of him. Your temper has always been horrible, kid. Don't blow this just because of what you feel. A warrior always has control of himself.  
  
An awkward silence followed Storm's little outburst, broken only by the soft tap on the adjoining door.  
  
"Guys?" came Selphie's voice, and a moment later the short brunette poked her head in without an invitation. "Hey! You guys wanna come join us? We have movies and pizza," she sang temptingly.  
  
"All right!" Zell whooped, leaping out of his chair. Selphie had to flatten herself against the doorframe to avoid being creamed as he barreled past. Irving rose and stretched in a more nonchalant manner, and sauntered out the door.  
  
"I suppose the movie isn't from the adult store down the street," he drawled, and was rewarded with a slap and a huffy "pervert!" from the brunette. Storm watched them leave, and for a moment, felt a familiar pang deep in his belly, before ruthlessly shutting it out. He wasn't jealous. He didn't need to be a part of their little cliché. Let them have their fun while they could; he had more important things to—  
  
"Oi! Storm! What are you waiting for, silly? Get in here before Zelly- Pig and baka Irving eat all the food!"  
  
"What?" For the second time that night, Storm was thrown completely off guard. "You serious?"  
  
Selphie rolled her eyes good-naturedly and beckoned him in. Storm hesitated only a moment. Then, almost shyly, he ran his hands through his hair and walked across the threshold to join the group.  
  
Sorry for the late post. I wanted to do a chapter from Storm's P.O.V. to figure out what he thought of the gang. Another huge huge thank you to Noacat, and everyone else who took the time to review. It's a big encouragement, and I SO appreciate it. Well, this little kitsune is off to bed, to dream of handsome gunbladers in tight pants. (Or no pants at all.) Whoops, did I think that outloud?  
  
Arigato! Silverkitsune 


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